Take Your 4 Year Old Deer Hunting

What? In case you haven't heard, the Wisconsin Assembly this week passed a bill that would eliminate the minimum age to hunt in the Badger State.

Currently the law states a resident must be at least 12 years old to purchase a license and hunt with a gun. There is an exception in that children as young as 10 can hunt under a mentor program with an adult. This bill basically would make it legal for any age child to hunt, even a two or three year old. The bill would also change the law that an adult hunter and mentor must share a gun. Instead each could carry one out into the wild.

As you might guess there's plenty of opposition. The bill which was Republican authored bases its though line on one that allows a parent to make the decision as to what age their child is ready to carry a gun and hunt. Opposing Democrats respond that putting children in the woods with guns puts everyone at risk.

There are laws to protect us but in some cases there are laws to protect us from ourselves. I've known some parents that in my opinion are a come up a little short when it comes to using good judgement. And it would only take one mishap to make it a tragic situation.

Keep in mind this is only the Assembly that has passed this. It isn't law yet and it may never be but interesting all the same.